即兴演讲赛落幕 德威学子展现精湛表达力

This week, Dulwich International High School Suzhou successfully held its popular annual Student Impromptu Speech Contest.

Dulwich Impromptu Speech Contest

In the earliest days, people would use wooden crates to set up a high platform on which to give impromptu speeches and express their opinions on topics such as politics and society. Usually these wooden crates are used by manufacturers to transport dry goods such as soap, so this form of speech is also called Soapbox in English. The Impromptu Speech Contest is an annual speech event in our school, which has been successfully held for three sessions.

Students stand on the small stage and passionately articulate their thoughtful, highly articulated, and persuasive arguments. Students compete fiercely for the prestigious impromptu speech trophy.

The theme of this year's speech is "The World is Awakening". From this theme, our students create, practice, and speak on topics such as light pollution, income inequality, and more. The students enriched their speeches with physical performances and props. Every contestant was full of passion and confidence.

This year's judges are Sarah Tielman (School Director), Sam Mulliner (Performing Arts Director) and Steve Hodgkin (Director of Advancement Guidance, Geography and Humanities teacher). 

Why does Dulwich put so much emphasis on public speaking?

In the future study, work and life, our students will inevitably find that they need to speak in front of everyone, ranging from a few to hundreds of people. Some of these speeches may be planned, while others will need to be performed on the spot.

 Most college courses require students to have public speaking skills, and students are often asked to present their work to their peers; after graduation, they may often be asked to speak to teams at work; if they become leaders later, Inevitably, frequent speeches are needed to motivate people, and to speak at conferences;

If you are in a sales-related job, you also need public speaking skills to be successful in persuading customers to buy a product; in addition, public speaking skills can affect the outcome of elections when running for office.

In short, public speaking, as a skill, opens many doors and possibilities for our students. Give them more opportunities, improve their career prospects and make them more confident!

One of the greatest benefits of our school's culture of improvisation and public speaking is that it prepares our students for public speaking in the wider world. We hope that such activities can help students fully develop their speaking skills and stop worrying about speaking.

contest winner

Teacher Ireland said the students had all stepped out of their comfort zones and had performed exceptionally well. Public speaking can be a challenge for anyone of any age, let alone a teenager. Because of this, they are all winners if they have the courage to go on stage. 

All the judges were deeply moved and gratified by the speeches of the students. It's hard to pick a single winner, but after much deliberation, the list of winners for each year group is as follows: 

• IG1: Lawrence Z
• Grade 12: Henry Q
• Grade 11: Felix T
• Grade 10: Calvin Q

The overall winner of the 2022 Impromptu Speech Contest is 11th grade Felix T: 

The Dulwich Impromptu Speech Contest is a highly entertaining event. This is all thanks to the dedication and hard work of Ms. Leanne Ireland (English teacher). For all participating students, she provided guidance and support throughout the process, and was solely responsible for organizing the event.

For this year's competition, Teacher Ireland commented:

“The key to building self-esteem in young people is to give them the opportunity to take risks and empower them to succeed. I am honored to work with these dedicated and passionate young people. This year’s competition left a legacy Very impressed, as a considerable number of Year 10 students who participated in the competition had no experience in public speaking, but they were able to overcome their fears well. Building confidence is one of our Dulwich School values ​​and these young People are our role models. I hope they find the experience worthwhile!"